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Pioneer station to open by 2025, company says (Photo: Dviulgação / Orbital Assembly Corporation)
The California startup Orbital Assembly Corporation announced plans to develop a fullfledged artificial gravity space hotel that would accommodate 28 guests in five modules built around a rotating gravity ring.
The project aims to make Pioneer the first operational space station by 2025 and envisages an ambitious timeline, but also dubious as to the real possibility of implementation.
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The Pioneer station is one of two commercial space station projects currently under development by the company. The other station is Voyager, which was announced in 2021. However, it is expected to be preceded by Pioneer Voyager, which is a larger development and aims to be a kind of luxury space hotel that can accommodate 400 guests at a time.
In a statement, Orbital Assembly executive director Rhonda Stevenson said Pioneer’s project is “a safe and reliable modular station that will generate revenue and profitability in the tourism and commercial sectors earlier than our competitors, which are following NASA’s schedule.” keep.”
In December 2021, NASA awarded contracts to three US private companies: Blue Origin, Nanoracks and Northrop Grumman. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will be able to develop lowEarth orbiting space stations for public and commercial use. NASA hopes to have these space stations operational by 2030.
But Orbital Assembly guarantees that it will be able to launch commercial space tourism ahead of the competition: “Different revenue streams from the commercial, research and tourism markets will allow us to capture the travel market for a one to twoweek stay in space subsidize.” he said.Stevenson. “While launch costs remain an obstacle, we expect tourists to plan shorter or more frequent stays as space travel becomes cheaper.”
Previously, Orbital Assembly announced it would begin construction of its largest space station, Voyager, by 2025 and launch it in 2027.
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